Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine Nov 2017 Vol 2 Issue 4

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

tion. Distemper is a virus from the Morbillivirus category of viruses. Dogs that have a high expo- sure level to other canines and these wild animals are at particular risk and should certainly be vacci- nated and a booster yearly. And even small dogs that may not have as high exposure as others should be protected. Once exposed, it’s too late and you are fighting an uphill battle. I personally have seen 7 or 8 cases of Distemper in the last 15 years, none of which were vaccinated and none survived in spite of treatment. Adenovirus is a virus that effects the liver and causes infectious hepatitis. Clinical signs of this disease are fever, vascular collapse, poor appe- tite, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea, abdominal pain and sometimes death. Additionally dogs that recover can have issues with their eyes including glaucoma and corneal ulceration. Bottom line is anything that negatively affects the liver isn’t good. Prevention is always a better way to go. Parvovirus brings about a bad feeling to anyone who has dealt with pets suffering with it. This deadly disease that just about everybody has heard of, generally effects the young but also can effect older dogs. Extreme vomiting and diarrhea are the hallmark signs along with lethargy and dehydration. This virus attacks specific cells in the small intestine, the Crypt Cells. These cells are responsible for providing the villi in the intestine. Villi are the finger-like projections on the surface of the intestine that increase the surface area and allow for better absorption of nutrients. Without villi, absorption is compromised. Diarrhea then takes over along with bacterial overgrowth, endo- toxemia then ultimately death. Only 50 per cent of the dogs that contract this disease survive. One other number that I consider important, 50% or half the positive cases I see with parvo have been improperly vaccinated. Meaning the vaccine was not handled correctly. Coronavirus is very similar in clinical signs that are seen with Parvovirus. Difference being that the clinical signs are not quite as severe. The animal is certainly ill, but not as devastated as in “parvo”. Continued on Page 32

Vaccinations for your canine friends – What, Why and When By Mark Piland, DVM Pet owners vary with the care that they provide for their pets. Most people understand that vaccina- tions are necessary to help keep their pets healthy, but many times don’t understand what exactly needs to be done and when. The important fact to remember is all of the diseases discussed in this article can be easily prevented. Basic vaccinations for canines are pretty simple and straight forward, at least from where I’m stand- ing. My advantage is I work with this daily with a variety of animals of all ages and living conditions. Most common vaccines are known as “5 way or 7 way” to pet owners. But what do these numbers mean and why is it important. Five or Seven way vaccines means that there are a number of diseas- es being addressed in that particular vaccine. An example might be Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovi- rus, Parainfluenza and Bordetella is a 5 way vac- cine. Five disease are being prevented through this vaccine. Any of this information is available by way of Google, but understanding exactly what is going on requires a bit more study. So let’s visit a bit about these diseases and their effect on your pet. It doesn’t make any difference if you have a stock dog, hunting dog or a lap dog, the effects of any of these diseases can be devastating, even deadly. Distemper or “hard pad” disease is a viral infection that affects all canines. Dogs, raccoons, coyotes, skunks and foxes are all susceptible to this infec-

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